MIXED

Goals of MIXED

1) Learn about the biophysical coupling of south Sound. Study the spring bloom in a region vulnerable to nutrification
2) Integrate PRISM's numerical physical models of Puget Sound
3) Involve students in hands-on research
An overview of the project can be downloaded here, and a talk Kate Edwards gave about MIXED is here.

Location

MIXED will take place in Carr Inlet, the home of the ORCA profiler which provides a multi-year water and meteorological dataset which will complement the observations of MIXED. (Learn more about ORCA by viewing a talk by Al Devol).

Education

We invite the involvement of students in MIXED.
Please email Kate Edwards with questions.

Science

Modeling
Puget Sound water circulation is modeled by Mitsuhiro Kawase using the Princeton Ocean Model, (POM).
This Quicktime animation shows density and velocity at two different depths (4 and 31 m beneath the water's surface).
View Mitsuhiro's talk about the modeling effort.
Later runs will be coupled to Cliff Mass' MM5 atmospheric model and the Hydromet river runoff model and compared to MIXED observations.

Using the velocity fields from POM, the AquaticBiogeochemistry Coupling model (ABC) will be used to study water chemistry and biological processes for the MIXED time period.

Observations

Fieldwork calendar
Biofloat - Eric D'Asaro will release an instrumented float to track productivity of a water parcel, as well as the conditions experienced by the water parcel.
Profiles - Jan Newton will take profiles following the neutrally buoyant float. Measurements include oxygen, nutrients, and chlorophyll.
ORCA - The MIXED results will be compared to ORCA observations.
Precipitation - Jeff Nystuen will deploy an acoustic precipitation gage.
Currents - Two current meteres will be deployed.

People

Fieldwork/modeling participants include:
Jan Newton - WA Dept. of Ecology
Eric D'Asaro, Kate Edwards, Jeff Nystuen - UW Applied Physics Lab
Mitsuhiro Kawase Al Devol, Steve Emerson - UW School of Oceanography

Support

Support for components of MIXED comes from:
PRISM
University of Washington Royalty Research Fund
Washington Department of Ecology
ORCA - EPA, NOAA, PRISM, and NASA


	Pacific Northwest MM5 Mesoscale Forecast	Atmospheric
	Northwest River Forecast Center	Hydrology